Workers of the Gambia Ports Authority (GPA) on Thursday 4 June 2026 brought the Port of Banjul to a standstill by staging a sit-down strike over outstanding welfare issues.
Reporting, the country’s main seaport activities had been halted for nearly 16 hours, sparking fears over the impact on trade, cargo movement and the wider economy.
The strike has effectively shut down all port operations, disrupting the handling of imports and exports and threatening delays across supply chains that depend on the Port of Banjul, The Gambia’s principal maritime gateway.
At the center of the dispute is a demand by workers for responsibility for staff welfare to be returned from Alport Banjul to the GPA. Employees argue that such a move would better safeguard their interests, improve working conditions, and ensure greater accountability in welfare-related matters.
Speaking on behalf of the workers, Adama Jatta, President of the GPA Staff Welfare Association, said employees would not return to work until their concerns are addressed.
“Our position remains unchanged. There will be no return to normal operations until our welfare demands are fully and satisfactorily met,” Jatta said.
Workers have also accused both GPA and Alport Banjul of failing to implement a directive allegedly issued by the Office of the President. The claim reportedly became a major point of discussion during emergency consultations involving senior government officials on Thursday.
In an effort to break the deadlock, Secretary to Cabinet Alieu Njie, Deputy Chief of Staff Modou Dibba, and the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Works met with representatives of the GPA Staff Association on Friday, June 5. However, the meeting ended without an agreement.
Sources familiar with the discussions said officials were surprised by discrepancies between information presented during the meeting and previous briefings, complicating efforts to reach an immediate resolution.
Attention has now shifted to a high-level meeting scheduled for Saturday, June 6, at the Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara International Conference Center. The meeting is expected to bring together State House, Ministry of Works, GPA management, Alport Banjul and the representatives of the Staff Association.
Stakeholders view the talks as an important opportunity to resolve the dispute and to avert a prolonged shutdown of port services.
The Port of Banjul plays a critical role in The Gambia’s economy, handling the bulk of the country’s imports and exports. A long break would be catastrophic for the companies, merchants and customers who depend on a constant flow of products through the port.
Operations are still suspended but pressure is building from all sides to find a compromise and restore normal services before the economic fallout worsens
